LEE MERRITTLee Merritt is a Sarasota native and a Sailor Circus alum. After he graduated from Sarasota High School in 1970, he immediately began his circus career. Among his career highlights, he formed the Lodi Duo cradle act with fellow Sailor Circus alum David Pittenger, which ran for three seasons. In 1978, he married fellow circus performer Kathy Allen and formed The Rolls Duo Cradle Act. He has also appeared as The Great Wizbini in a comedy tight wire act.

Lee performed all across the US and Canada on circuses big and small until the birth of his second child in 1984 (the first one had been born in 1982 while on the road). Since then, he spent 25 years as an employee at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing and was a Volunteer Coach with Sailor Circus for 15 years before being hired with The CAC in 2013.